When Ian Stowe left the Army after 20 years, he found civilian life challenging. Support through The Poppy Factory’s Navigator service helped Ian realise his dream of creating an Armed Forces support group at his beloved football club, Tranmere Rovers – enabling other ex-Forces fans to make new connections and find the help they need.
Civilian struggles
Ian said: “I served for over 20 years in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. I loved every single day of it. Being in the Army was easy for me – normal life isn’t.
“When I left the Army in 2023, I found myself homeless. I couldn’t get any medication or a doctor because I didn’t have a registered address. To find myself not working and on benefits is something I still struggle with.
“I was referred to The Poppy Factory by the Stein Centre at St Catherine’s Hospital in Birkenhead. My mental health nurse said he could refer me if I wanted help finding employment.
Instant connection
“At first, all the communication was by text message. Ben, from The Poppy Factory’s Navigator service, asked if I’d like meet up somewhere easy for me. I’m a single parent, so we arranged to meet in a café after I’d dropped my daughter at school. I was apprehensive about it, because I didn’t want to have to go over everything again.
“Ben made things feel very simple, which made it easy for me. There was no pressure, but he was always there to help if I needed it. We both grew up in the area and we’re both veterans and Tranmere Rovers fans, so there was an instant connection.
Club community
“I know veterans can find it helpful to talk about their experience to other people who have similar experiences, and I had the idea of meeting up before the game and just talking.
“I wanted to run a monthly drop-in for the Armed Forces community at Tranmere Rovers. With Ben’s support, the club invited me in to give a presentation about it, and they loved the idea.
“At the first meeting we had a Deputy Lieutenant there, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Wirral. It was a humbling experience for me, talking about my ideas in front of more than 50 people.
“It’s clear that there’s a need for this. There’s a lot of support out there, but you never get told that when you leave the Army. If I can help just one person find information that’s going to help them, I will have succeeded in my goal.
Further growth
“I’m not sure what the future holds, but I want to make this hub work so much. If we can make it work here, I’d like to make it bigger and take it to the Football Association. I’d also love to be able to take a couple of veterans with me to away games, to meet ex-Forces fans from the other teams.
“I’ll always encourage other veterans to get in touch with The Poppy Factory. Ben did a brilliant job with me. It’s certainly a big help to have someone who has that local knowledge and understanding.”
Backing Ian’s goal
Ben Keegan, Navigator for The Poppy Factory in Cheshire and Merseyside, said: “When Ian came to us, he was in very challenging situation with his mental health. We explored his passions and like me, he’s a longstanding Tranmere Rovers fan.
“I supported Ian to begin an Armed Forces community hub at the club. I watched him pitch his ideas to the club’s senior team and he performed incredibly well under pressure. Ian is now supporting the community across the Wirral, which is a quite remarkable turnaround.”
Join the Tranmere Rovers Armed Forces Community on Facebook
Find out about support through Navigator
